Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-12-23
BILL NYe AS A SCIENTIST.
lie L. Alarmed About the Future OF
the Human Race.

briefly and seriously to discuss the
great question. Whittier are we drift
ing" and what is To be the condition of
the coming manp We cannot shut our
eyes to the fact that mankind is pass
ing through great era OF change;
even womank nd is not built as she was
a few brief years ago. And is it not
time. fellow-citizens. that we paused TO
consider what is to De the future of the
American?
Food itself has been the subject of
change both in the matter of material
aud preparation. This must affect the
consumer ia such way as to some day
bring about great changes. Take, for
instance. the oyster. one of our COM
paratvely modern food aud gam
fishes and watch the effects of science
upon him At one time the oyster
browsed around and ate what he could
find in Neptune's back yard. and we
had TO take him as we found him.
Now we take herd of oysters off the
trail, all run down. and feed them arti-
iicially till they swell up to fancy
price. Now. where Will this all lead
at last. | ask as careful scientist? In
stead of eating apples. as Adam did, we
work the fruit up into APPLE jack and
pie. while even the simple oyster is
perverted, and instead of allowing him
to fatten up in the fall on acorns and
ancient mariners. flesh is artiiic ally
put on his bones by the artificial os-
nose and dialysis Of our advanced CIV
il cation. How can you make an oys-
ter stout or train him down by making
him jerk a health lift SD many hours
every day. or cultivate his body at the
expense of his mind. without ultimately
not only impairing the future useful
nes, of the oyster himself but at the
same time affecting the future Of the
! human race?
only use the oyster ~ an illustration,
and do not wish to cause alarm. but
say that 4 We st mUlate the oyster ar
titc.aly and swell him up by scientific
means We not only do 80 at the expense
If his better nature anil keep him away
from his family. bat we are making
our mark on the future race of men.
O, Ster-fattening is now, Of course,
N its infancy. Ohly few years ago
au effort was made To fatten cove Oy-
,tcrs at 81. Louis while in the can, but
The system was not well understood,
and those who had it it charge only
succeeded in making the can more
plump. But now oysters are kept on
feed and z ven nothing to DO for few
weeks. ana even the older and over
worked and sway backed aud rickity
oysters of the dim and murkcy past are
made to fill out, and many of them
have to put a gore in the waistband of
their shells. | only speak of the oyster
,ncidently as one of the objects to-
wards which science has returned it's
attention. and assert TN the utmost
confidence that the time Will come, un-
less science should get back set. when
the present hunting-case oyster will
give place TO the open-face oyster.
grated on the octopus and big enough
to feed hotel Further than that, the
oyster of the future " i carry in hip
pocket flask of vinegar. half a dozen
lemons and two little japanese bottles,
one of which II contain salt and the
other pepper. and there will be someway
provided by which you can tell which
is which. But are we improving the
oyster now? That is the question we
will ask ourselves Is this healthy
fat which we are putting on hun or is
it bloat? And what Will be the result
in the home life of the oyster? We take
him from all home influences whatever
in order to make a swell Of him by our
modern methods, but do we improve
his cond ton morally and what . TO
be the final result on man?
The reader will see by the questions
| ask that | ara true scientist Give
me an overcoat pocket full of lower
case Interrogation marks and medical
report to run to, and | can speak on
the matter of science and advancement
till Reason totters on her throne.
But food aud oysters do not alone
affect the great pregnant future. Our
race is being tempered with not only
by means Of adulterat ons. political
combinations aud climatic changes.
but even our methods Of relaxation are
productive of peculiar physical con-
dilions. malformaions and some more
things of that kin |.
Cigarette-smokiug produces u nabby
and indigenous condition of tue optic
nerve, and constant listening at tele-
phone and always with the same ear
gradually decreases the power of tho
other ear til it finally just stands
around drawing its salary. but actually
refusing TO hear anything Carrying
an eighl-pound cane makes a man lop-
SIDED, aud the muscular and nervous